Cruel World- 𝓗𝓪𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓟𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻

Tea Leaves

"Welcome my children. In this room, you shall explore the noble art of Divination. In this room you shall discover if you possess the sight. I am Professor Trewlaney. Together, we shall cast ourselves into the future. This term, we shall be focusing on Tasseomacny the art of reading tea leaves. So please, take the cup of the person sitting opposite you. What do you see?" 

Marlene and Zac were sitting at a table and they switched their cups, "But first, you must look beyond!" 

Zac leaned over to table and whispered, "She's crazier than my great aunt Nina." 

"No ones that crazy." Marlene said with a smile 

Trewlaney walked over to Marlene and Zac's' table, "Oh! Your aura is pulsing dear boy. Are you in the beyond? I think you are." 

"Sure why not." Zac said

"Cup tell me what you see?" Trewlaney asked 

Zac nodded, "Sure okay um..." He looked down at the cup, "Marls has sort of a...a sun. Which is happiness so..." He looked at Marlene, "You're going to be happy." 

Trewlaney nodded as she walked back into the rest of the class, "You're lying." 

"No I'm...yes I am." Zac said

He held the cup over to Marlene and she took it, "Dog or Wolf?" 

Zac looked at the book that was on the desk and said, "The black dog...that one means death." 

"Great." Marlene said, everyone stood up as the class was dismissed, "Have fun with Hagrid." 

"You not coming?" Zac asked 

Marlene shook her head and said, "Me and Magical Creatures don't work so well." 

Zac leaned down and whispered, "You are a magical creature." 

"Exactly." Marlene said as they walked out of the classroom. 

. . . . . .  . . .

Marlene walked into a room and looked up when she heard, "There's my bright little witch." She smiled when she saw Remus standing on a upper level of his rooms, "You're meant to be in class." 

"Care Of Magical Creatures. I can miss that one." Marlene said 

Remus nodded as he walked down the stairs, "Wise choice. Still why here?" 

"Can we talk?" Marlene asked 

Remus sat down on one of the chairs, Marlene walked over to him and sat down, "Divination-" 

Remus cut Marlene off, "Pointless subject in my opinion...carry on." 

"We were doing tea leaves and mine was a...black dog." Marlene said 

Remus paused for a few seconds before he said, "A black dog? Are you sure?" Marlene nodded, "Who knows?" 

"No one. Zac covered said it was something else. But we both know what it means." Marlene said 

Remus sighed as he stood up and said, "Enough doom and gloom for today come on." 

Marlene stood up, "Why what are we doing?" 

"I think it is a good idea to practice your boggart without the class. Assuming it's the same as mine. You want to try that?" Remus asked

Marlene nodded, "Why not."

"Wand at the ready." Remus said

She smiled as she held up her wand, when Remus opened the wardrobe the Boggart came out, it changed forms for a few seconds before it stopped, Marlene gasped when she saw what it was Zac and Remus dead on the ground with claw marks all across them with a full moon above it, "It's not real Marlene! I'm right here!"

Marlene shook her head as she kept her eyes on her boggart, Remus jumped in front of her, "Ridikulus!"

The moon turned into a balloon and flew away and the bodies disappeared. Remus turned around and hugged her, "That wasn't real. I'm not going anywhere." 

Marlene quickly pushed away and ran out of the office.

. . . .  . . . 

Marlene was sitting on the ground in one of the abandoned towers in the school when Remus walked in, "Are you kidding me? That painting isn't meant to let anyone but me in." 

"The person in that painting used to be my friend remember?" Remus asked and Marlene nodded, 

"How did this happen?"

"What's going on Marl?" Remus asked

"My boggart was my best friend and you dead on the ground after I hurt you." Marlene said

"Where's the girl that I know? The one that nothing bothers" Remus asked

Marlene scoffed, "Somewhere far away."

"Now I don't believe that." Remus said

Marlene turned around to face him, "You know he stayed with me last time?"

"What?" Remus asked

Marlene nodded, "I could've killed him but he didn't care he still stayed what if...what if I do hurt him one day? I can't have that I can't hurt my best friend! I can't hurt you!"

"I used to think the exact same thing. After it happened I had no one, no one to help me. Then you came along I was this close to saying no to you, saying no that I couldn't look after you, they almost didn't give you to me but I fought it and I said yes you know why?" Remus asked and Marlene shook her head, "Because I was scared. And the first rule of living do something you're afraid of. When I said yes and I held you for the first time I knew that I had a reason to fight, a reason to try to make my life better. You need to do the same you hear me?"

Marlene looked up and said, "Secrets don't stay secrets for long. I've got to do that whole thing again tomorrow."

Remus shook his head as he sat down on the ground, "You don't. I'm breaking a rule and playing favourites here but you don't have to." He looked around the room, "What is this place?" 

"I can't use the Shrieking Shack can I?" Marlene asked 

Remus then understood what she was talking about, "You turn here?" Marlene nodded, "No one hears you?" 

Marlene shook her head as she took out her wand, "Bombarda!" Where she was pointing the crate in the corner of the room exploded, "Room's spelled. You know I hate this place, hate what I have to do in here but it is still the one place where I can be alone, in peace...are you not scared that people will find out?" 

"I suggest that what you fear the most is people being afraid of you. Not hurting us. Our pain becomes their power." Remus said 

"So if I don't show them my pain, if I don't show them my fear I'll be fine?" Marlene asked

Remus nodded, "I suspect you'll be fine either way." 

Thank you for reading 

Comment and Vote